Sports writer for The Age

AUSTRALIA'S desperate bid to stiffen its batting in time to salvage a draw in the one-day series against Sri Lanka could be undermined by the loss of Michael Clarke.

The captain sprained his right ankle in a fielding drill at Bellerive on Tuesday morning, seriously enough to prevent him batting and for team management to declare, despite positive X-ray results, he is in serious doubt for Wednesday's day-night match.

Vice-captain Shane Watson's continued absence from the team due to injury has left a vacancy for a stand-in captain. While George Bailey confirmed he expected to captain Australia in his maiden international match at home in Tasmania if Clarke was ruled out, he said his teammate would be given ample opportunity to recover.

''He will obviously be given right up to the toss tomorrow to prove he is right to go,'' Bailey said.

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Selectors declined to add an additional player to the 13-man squad, meaning Victorian Glenn Maxwell, 12th man for Australia's past two matches, would likely come into the team alongside fellow all-rounder Moises Henriques if Clarke was unable to recover.

Asked if replacing a specialist batsman with a batting all-rounder would put additional pressure on Australia's batsmen, Bailey said: ''If you are replacing Michael Clarke with anyone it's a step down, and that is no disrespect to whoever needs to replace him.

''He is obviously an outstanding player so whenever you are losing: one, the experience, and two, the calibre of player, it is a challenge, which is hopefully what the guys step up into.

''That's what we are hoping and that is what we have lacked in the last couple of games … someone stepping up as an individual, even in a batting partnership, to fill the gaps that [were left by] Mike Hussey leaving, Ricky Ponting leaving. With that comes huge opportunity, and that is the word we keep using and that is still there. I think if individuals within the group can stand up, particularly at the top of the order, and just settle the changerooms down and get a good partnership going [it will be effective].''

Having presided over a 107-run thrashing of Sri Lanka in the series-opening match in Melbourne, Bailey said he did not think it incongruous that less than a fortnight later Australia has to win to avoid a second consecutive home head-to-head ODI series defeat against Sri Lanka.